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uiten gratta @anni @fitta GiliEllllOIR-E F. COSFELDT, JR., PHILADELPHIA, PENSYLVANI.

Lettera vPatent No. 70,807, dated November 12,'1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOW-WATER DETEOTORS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CON G ERN; p

- Be it known that I, CLEMOIRE F. COSFELDT, Jr., of the city and county of Philadelphia, andState of Pennsylvania,`have inventeda new and useful Low-'Water Detector and Time-Whistle combined; and I do hereby declare the` following to be a clear andexact description of the same, suilicient to enable others skilled inrthe art to which my invention appertains to fully understand and use the same, referen'cebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specicatiomin whichl 'Figure lis a side elevation of thedevic'e, illustrating my invention, and Figure 2 is a central longitudinal vertical section thereof. Similar letters of reference indicate Acorresponding parts in the two iigures. l My invention is a low-water detector-and timewhistle,'and consists of Ithe application within a boiler of a valve in a horizontal position, withaI corresponding seat, said valve being operated-by a swinging lever having at one end a iioat, and an arm placed at an angle at the other end, so that said arm, protruding through a slot inthe body or stem ofthe valve, will enable theiloat-lever to vibrate toa certain extent,thereby compensating for the ebullition or vibration of the water. I adapt the device to a time-,whistle bymeans of a rod and lever,

which are readily operated without interfering with the other parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described.-

In the drawings, A represents the boiler-head, throughs. certain point of which protrudes the valve-seat B, having an opening, a, passin'g entirely through it. C .is the valve, of ordinary form, placed within the boiler, and sliding or dropping horizontally against its seat B, likewise within the boiler, and has its shank b to enter and move in the opening a. D is'the valve-stem, through whichis eut a vertical longitudinal slot, c. The inner end of the valve has a lhole provided with thread, into which fits a screw, d, having a jam-nut thereon, the plain part of which acts as a guide-stem for the valve. One end of this screw-rod projects longitudinally into the slot c, and its plain end passes through" a bearing in a'right-angular arm or support, E, which projects inwardly within the boiler, and is secured at the top of the valve-seat B, or in any equivalent manner. From the under side of lthe valve-seat there arises aA hinge or arms, e, having ears orlugs, on which is pivoted a pin or bolt and nut, carrying-an angular lever, F, and forming the fulcrum of said lever. The short arm'f points upwardly, and protrudes through the slot c, and, being of smaller dimensions than the slot, has a certain play therein. The long arm or 4lever g projects inwardly, and carries a float, G, of usual construction. It will be perceived that when the boiler is properly filled with water, the continual tendency ofthe iloat is to rise, thereby carry the lever g, and push forward the shortI urmf in the slot cagainst the valve, andthus force the valve on the seat. When suicient steam is generated, it'will take the place of the iloat and lever. The valve is'then retained on its seat by the pressure of the steam. Itvwill be noticed that during this time the ebullition or vibration of the water will cause a correspondivng vibration of the float and lever, and unless some provision is made therefor, the position of the valve would be continually aifected. Steam will escape from the boiler and rush out against the whistle in short and loud puffs. l

My invention is intended to obviate this great annoyance. The slot c` in the stem of the valve allows a limited vibration of the short arm of the float-lever, and therefore the valve remains unmoved against its seat. When it is desired to regulate the extentA of the free vibration of the levers according to the'intcnded height of water in the boiler, the screw and jam-nut are the regulating media. To decrease or increase the vibration, the rod must be drawn further from or brought nearer to the short'armf, and-held in position by the jamv nut. When the waterv decreases in quantity by evaporation or leakage, or other causes, the float will follow or 4fall in a corresponding ratio. When thei'loat reaches the point or depth of water decided upon to insure safety, the short armfof the lever will come in contact with the end of screw d; it will drag the valve from its seat,

allow the escape of steam, and cause the whistle to give the alarm. The projecting part rof the'valve-seat protrudes-through the boiler-head, being sniciently long to-enable it to be lscrewed into said head and held in position hya jam-nut or any other steam-tight joint, Attached'to the outer end of the projecting part h is an elbow, on which is placed an ordinary steaxrewhistle, H. t a point, t', in elbow, is an opening through which passes a rod, J, whose inner end comes in contact with' the shank of the valve when it is desiredto use my device as a time-whistle. I place, at any suitable point on the elbow, ears or lugs, forming a' fulcrumv for 'sf lever, K, whereby the rod J can be pressed against the end of shank of the valve, and thus release the valve from its seat, permitting t'ne escape of steam to the whistle. It will be noticed that the rod J' and valve D are separate. v The latter cannot be closed by the former, but it depends, for this purpose, on the rise of the fioat,

` consequently no access canbe had to the valve for surreptitiously closing the same.

My invention is practical, and can be adapted to any boiler capable o'f receiving a lloat, and whether locomotive, marine, or stationary. The valve, its se'at, its regulating medium, and the float and its levers, are -all arranged within the boiler, and are therefore out of the Way, and are more effective than ordinarily. When my invention is applied to Aa boiler, it presents the appearance on the outside of nothing more than an ordinary steam-1' whistle. I consider the simplicity of my invention one of its great features. I also combine therewith durability and utility, and intend to supply a want generally and greatly felt, in view of the many accidents daily occurring. There are no means presented for the engineer or one'in charge of the boiler to tamper with the whistle, se as to prevent its signalling when necessary. He may open the valve at pleasure, but it is beyon'l his power to close it, except by the admission of more water.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as nen', and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. The arrangement within the boiler of the valve-seat B, support E, and the independent slotted valve 0 D, having shank b and rod d, as and for the purpose described. Y V

2. The regulating-screw d, one end protruding through the slot c, and the other end resting on the support E, substantially as and for the purpose described. p

To the above I llave signed my name this 5th day of October, 1867.

CLEMOIRE F. COSFELDT, JR.

Witnesses:

JonN A. Wlsunnsnnm, J. McKENNEY. 

